Flying Smarter: Air Travel Explained

In this episode, Andrew answers the question of which airline in the world is the safest. He then chats with Gary Arndt, an award-winning travel blogger and writer who has travelled to over 130 countries.

• What is the safest airline in the world? Some airlines have better safety reputations than others, but does this really matter? Find out more in this episode.  
• What’s it like flying around small Pacific islands? Or taking a small plane up to a fly-in only area in northern Canada? Andrew talks to world traveler Gary Arndt about some of his most unique air travel stories. 
• Air travel is what connects the globe. Gary Arndt has flown all around the world, visiting over 130 countries. In this episode, he shares his wisdom, experiences, and insights on air travel. 

Gary Arndt is an award-winning travel blogger and photographer. He has flown all over the world and has travelled to over 130 countries. His blog, Everything Everywhere, features stories about travel, history and much more. He also writes and produces a daily podcast called Everything Everywhere Daily which covers stories about people, places, and things from around the world. Plus, he is the co-host of This Week in Travel, an award-winning weekly podcast that covers travel industry news. You can also find him on social media on Instagram and Twitter.

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In this episode, Andrew starts off by answering questions about how planes avoid mid-air collisions and why airlines overbook flights. Then he talks about how you can get upgraded on your next flight.

• How do planes avoid colliding in the air? Mid-air collisions do happen, but there are a bunch of different safeguards put in place to prevent these unfortunate incidents. Learn more in this episode.
• Why do airlines overbook flights? It might seem like an unethical and nonsensical practice, but there may be a good reason why airlines do it. This episode explores why overbooking happens.
• For this episode’s main segment, we explore how you can increase your chances of getting upgraded on your next flight. While it’s harder to get a free upgrade than it was in the past, there are still things you can do to help your chances. 

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This special episode of Flying Smarter looks at the top five non-pandemic air travel stories of 2020. There’s no doubt that it has been a rough year for the aviation industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on air travel, and news headlines have been filled with how the pandemic has impacted aviation.

But it hasn’t all been bad news and there have been some other exciting things going on in the industry. In this year-end episode of the podcast, Andrew discusses five interesting and significant pieces of air travel news from 2020. From a new airline with huge potential to a policy change that could save travelers hundreds of dollars, these stories could have impacts for travelers for years to come.

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This episode of Flying Smarter starts off by looking at whether or not airplane doors can be opened inflight. Travel writers Felice and Peter Hardy then come onto the podcast talk about flying and skiing.

• Is it possible to open an airplane door during your flight? We’ve seen scary scenes of this happening in movies, but the reality is quite different. Learn more in this episode.
• What’s the largest airline in the world? There’s a different ways to measure airline size, but this episode answers this question based on the number of passengers carried. 
• As winter arrives and the ski season in the norther part of the world draws near, avid skiers and travel writers Felice and Peter Hardy come to the show to talk about flying and skiing. Andrew chats with them about everything from flying with ski equipment, to some of their more memorable winter flying experiences.

Peter and Felice Hardy are travel writers and avid skiers based in the United Kingdom. They host their own travel podcast called ActionPacked Travel and are co-editors of the ski website Welove2ski. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Some of the ski resorts mentioned in this episode are Val d'Isere in France, Kitzbuhel in Austria, Champoluc in Italy, Zermatt in Switzerland, Baqueira Beret in Spain, Whistler in British Columbia, Canada, and Jackson Hole in Wyoming, USA. 

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This episode starts by answering questions about soft versus hard shell luggage and the difference between pilots, co-pilots, first officers, and captains. Andrew then takes a look at why the Boeing 787, also known as the Dreamliner, has won the hearts of airlines and passengers alike.

• Should I use hard shell or soft shell luggage? There are advantages and drawbacks to both and this episode begins by comparing the two types to help you decide. 
• What is the difference between a pilot, copilot, first officer, and captain? These terms get thrown around a lot in air travel. Learn what the difference is between the different types of people flying your plane.
• Long-haul flying can be rough. It can be tiring: you’re stuck on a cramped plane with dry, stale air, and you might have a lot of connections. There’s a revolutionary plane out there that tries to change all this though, and that is the Boeing 787, also known as the Dreamliner. For this episode’s main segment, Andrew explores what makes this aircraft so special.

As you know, the first part of each episode of the podcast is based on questions submitted by listeners or that I’ve had in the past. If you have a question that you want to be answered on the show, get in touch with us on social media (see below) or at www.flyingsmarter.com/contact. You can send us a message from there, or even record your question.

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This episode is special because it doesn’t follow the normal episode format. Andrew spends the entire episode chatting with airline pilot Owen Zupp about turbulence and what you need to know about it. Topics discussed in this episode include:

• Turbulence makes some passengers a bit nervous and there can be some discomfort in the cabin when a plane hits some rough air. But what happens in the flight deck when a flight encounters turbulence? Learn all about it in this episode.
• Should passengers be worried about turbulence breaking the wings off a plane or sending the aircraft into a dive? Andrew asks Owen about some worst-case scenarios that passengers might consider.
• There are lots of ways that pilots can anticipate, avoid, and remove planes from turbulence, but we sometimes hear of incidents of severe turbulence causing injuries. Owen explains how these types of scenarios usually happen and how you can keep yourself safe onboard. 

Owen Zupp is an airline pilot an awarding-winning author. You can check out his work on his website at www.owenzupp.com. There you can find various articles that he’s written, as well as details on his books and how you can get them. You can also find him on his YouTube channel and on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

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In this episode, Andrew starts off by answering questions about how far in advance you should buy a plane ticket and why Singapore Changi Airport is considered the world’s best airport. Then he talks about airline alliances, looking at why they exist and what the benefits for travelers are.

• How far in advance should you buy a plane ticket? The answer to this isn’t as clear as you may think it is. Learn more in this episode. 
• Why is Singapore Changi Airport considered the world’s best? Singapore Changi Airport has won tons awards for being an exceptional airport and providing an amazing experience. We take a look at what makes this airport revered around the world. 
• Airline alliances are strategic partnerships between groups of airlines. Airlines join these alliances for a number of reasons, including an expanded network and opportunities to cooperate and find operational efficiencies. They also provide many benefits for passengers, particularly when it comes to frequent flyer programs. This episode’s main segment is all about these alliances. 

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This episode of Flying Smarter starts off by answering questions about how high planes fly and how to get into airport lounges. Airline industry expert Dr. Kerry Tan then chats with Andrew about COVID-19’s impact on airlines and what the future holds for passengers.

• How high do planes fly? Commercial jets fly within a certain altitude range. Find out why this is the case and how it compares with other things in the sky. 
• How do I get into an airport lounge? Airport lounges allow you to wait for your flight in a more comfortable environment. Learn about the different ways you can gain access to one of these fancy spaces.
• COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the airline industry. Airline industry expert Kerry Tan is here to talk share his insights on airlines, the pandemic, and the future. He talks about how airlines have dealt with the challenges of COVID-19, how air travel might have been changed forever, what this all means for passengers, and much more. He also shares his advice to people who are itching to travel. 

Kerry Tan is an Associate Professor of Economics and an airline industry expert at Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business. You can learn more about him and his work here. 

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This episode starts by answering questions about why there are carry-on liquid restrictions and why airlines fly empty planes around. Then, learn about duty-free shopping, what happened to SkyMall, and why things are so expensive at airports.

• Why are there restrictions on bringing liquids through airport security? Restrictions on liquids at airport security are just a regular part of flying these days. Find out why and how these rules came to be.
• Why do airlines sometimes fly empty planes around? We look at why an airline would operate a flight even if it only has one or two passengers on it. Plus, airlines fly empty planes around for many operational reasons. Learn more in this episode.  
• When we’re flying, we’re presented with a many opportunities to make some purchases. Some of these opportunities are better than others and this episode looks at shopping throughout the air travel experience. Andrew discusses what you need to know about duty-free shopping, what happened to SkyMall, and why food and other necessities are so expensive at airports. 

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In this episode, Andrew answers questions about airplane sewage and finding the best seat. He then chats with Alyssa Cerchiai about the world of points and miles.

• Where does airplane sewage go? You may have heard stories of frozen toilet waste landing in people’s yards but do we really jettison human waste into the sky? We take a look at what actually happens to airplane sewage once it’s flushed down the toilet.
• What is the best seat on a plane? The answer depends on what your priorities are. If you really don’t like turbulence for example, a seat over the wings or towards the front of the plane will likely give you a smoother ride. Find out what you need to know about selecting a seat on your next flight.
• Using points and miles is a great way to reduce the cost of your next trip. However, earning reward travel can seem like a daunting task if you aren’t a frequent flyer or big spender. For this episode’s main segment, writer and podcast host Alyssa Cerchiai is here to cover the basics of the world of points and miles and talk about how to get started. 

If you want to hear more from Alyssa or learn more about the world of points and miles, check out her podcast, She Made Points. You can also find her on Instagram at @shemadepoints and @alycerchiai, on Twitter at @shemadepoints and @alycerchaiai, and on the She Made Points Facebook Page. 

For a breakdown of the flight redemption example from this episode, click here.

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